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An Iranian commander and several diplomats were killed in an airstrike on Monday that destroyed a building in Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria.
Media outlets from both countries are attributing the attack to Israel, which could potentially escalate hostilities in the Middle East, according to Reuters.
Among the three senior commanders who died in the assault was Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi of Iran's elite Quds Force. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed his death in a statement, which also reported the deaths of seven military advisers.
Following the attack, Iranian ambassador Hossein Akbari stated that Iran's response would be of "the same magnitude and harshness," as reported by The Associated Press.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, present at the scene, condemned the attack, calling it an "atrocious terrorist attack" that targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus and resulted in the deaths of several innocents.
Israel has refrained from commenting, consistent with its practice regarding high-profile strikes against Iran and its proxies.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, attacks by Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have significantly increased.
The Biden administration has been actively working to prevent the conflict from spreading regionally. During a news briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern about anything that could escalate conflict in the region.
In a separate incident, a sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was arrested on suspicion of contact with militant operatives and supporting acts of terror, as reported by multiple Israeli news agencies. Sabah Abdel Salam Haniyeh, an Israeli citizen, was taken into custody in Tel Sheva.
Police found documents and electronic devices linking her to "serious security offenses."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that senior Hamas militants arrested by Israel's armed forces in recent days indicated that the organization is disintegrating from within.
These militants have reportedly been providing information beneficial to the Israeli military.
World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres that has been distributing meals amid food shortages in Gaza, reported the deaths of some of its workers in an Israeli attack.
At least five WCK workers, including a Palestinian and citizens of Australia, Britain, and Poland, died in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, according to Reuters.
WCK had been assisting with humanitarian efforts in Gaza, including setting up kitchens and delivering food supplies.
The charity condemned the attack, stating that humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be targeted.
The Israeli military announced the completion of its "targeted operation" at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after killing 200 militants and arresting 500 others during a weeks-long siege.
The operation was carried out based on intelligence indicating that Hamas militants were using the hospital and its environs as a command-and-control center and a military headquarters.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, condemned the use of hospitals as battlefields, emphasizing the need to respect and protect medical facilities.
The Hamas-run Gaza media office claimed that Israeli forces killed 400 Palestinians around Shifa, including a female physician and her son, also a physician, and left the hospital in ruins. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the media office, described the destruction as a "crime against humanity."
In another development, Israel was on the verge of banning the Qatari-based news outlet Al-Jazeera after the Knesset approved legislation allowing the government to shut down foreign news networks deemed a threat to national security. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, championed the bill, stating that it provided a tool against those who use freedom of the press to harm Israeli soldiers and incite terrorism.
The White House expressed concern over reports of a possible Israeli ban on Al-Jazeera, emphasizing the importance of freedom of the press.
Protests against Netanyahu's coalition government continued for a second day, with thousands of demonstrators marching in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. One of the organizing groups, Kaplan Force, stated that it is "employing all lawful means available to prevent this dictatorship's takeover of Israel."
Netanyahu faced criticism over efforts to weaken Israel's judicial system before the war began. The criticism intensified after the Oct. 7 militant attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 hostages being seized. Netanyahu was also criticized for not pressing hard enough for the release of more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza.
Additionally, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked an Israeli highway outside the central city of Bnei Brak to protest conscription into the military. Monday was the legal deadline for the Defense Ministry to begin drafting Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have been exempt from military service since Israel's founding in 1948. A High Court of Justice order also freezes financial support for Haredi academies whose students receive annual military service deferrals.
Senior U.S. and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting to discuss alternative proposals to an Israeli military invasion of Rafah. President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to launch a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city, which is densely populated. Netanyahu, however, insisted that there is no other way to eliminate Hamas.